10 Reasons to Go to Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

With only 1,000 days to go until the opening of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, it is time to start thinking about–and maybe saving for–journeying to experience the greatest show on Earth in one of the world's most exciting cities.
Here are 10 reasons that will convince you that Tokyo will be the place to visit during the summer of 2020!

1. The city is an open-air museum of architecture
Japan has the highest number of architects per capita in the world1 and the city is awash with stunning skyscrapers, futuristic houses and buildings with Pritzker prize-winning designs. And the design of the 2020 Games' venues alone makes them worth a tour.
Six venues were inherited from the 1964 Games, but they don't look a day older. The Yoyogi National Stadium continues to enjoy a glowing international reputation with its ondulated design. Judo will return to its Olympic birthplace – the Nippon Budokan, the spiritual home of Japanese martial arts with a roof design reminiscent of Mount Fuji.
The new venues will live up to your expectations, with a new state-of-the-art Olympic Stadium built using a range of traditional wood materials, rowing courses in spectacular Tokyo Bay and arenas blending into the city centre.
And did we mention that the city's sumo arena will host Boxing?

2. More youthful, more urban
Four sports will make their Olympic debut in Tokyo, meaning you will have the opportunity to see the first ever gold medals awarded to the best competitors in karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing.
Aomi Urban Sports Venue will host the skateboarding and sport climbing competitions, and spectators will be able to actually use the venues during the Games. It will be the first time a competition venue will be open for public use during an Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, the surfing world is planning for a surfing festival on Tsurigasaki beach, incorporating yoga, art, music, coaching and environmental discussions.
And if you don't know much about karate, don't worry! Your new Japanese friends will help you distinguish a nagashi uke from a mae geri.

3. The world's safest city
Yes, you read that right. Tokyo manages to be at the same time the biggest and the safest city in the world. Nothing less.
Still having a hard time believing it? Try this. In 2016, 32 million dollars in lost cash were handed in at Tokyo police stations.2

4. Welcome to the future
Check out our vision: we want the Tokyo 2020 Games to be the most innovative in history! What's more, our partners want them to showcase cutting-edge Japanese technology.
Hydrogen-powered vehicles, multilingual translation devices and enhanced sports-related data devices equipped with the very latest ICT technologies. And let's not forget accessibility.
Tokyo 2020 is going to encourage innovation like never before!

5. Take me down to the food paradise city
What to start with? A hearty bowl of ramen with a tasty broth and home-made noodles? And yes, you can slurp them!
But it could be tempura, yakitori, soba, teppanyaki, shabu shabu, and of course raw fish. Did you know there are 3,620 sushi bars in Tokyo3, and more Michelin stars than in any other city?
Tokyo is a foodie experience in itself, and 17 Olympic days won't be enough to explore all the delicacies of Japanese cuisine.

6. Discover the new stars
Among the 11,090 athletes from the expected 206 National Olympic Committees, only 339 will leave Tokyo with a gold medal. And only a handful of these will reach stardom.
Who will become the next Michael Phelps and make a splash in Tokyo? Who will be the new Usain Bolt?
Going to Tokyo means witnessing the emergence of a new generation of sport legends.

7. Be part of the athletes' dream
OK, there is a trick with this one: you have to visit Japan before the end of spring 2019. Sorry...
If you do, bring your old smartphone and hand it to us! We will recycle it in order to use the precious metals it contains in the production of the medals that will be awarded to athletes at the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
While drawing public attention to the importance of sustainability, we want to offer everyone the opportunity to play a role in the Games' preparations and have an actual little piece of them being part the medals the athletes are dreaming of.

8. Enjoy living the big city life
Tokyo tops Monocle's 2017 Most Liveable Cities Index and Conde Nast Travelers 2017 readers' choice award for Best City, and it's hardly surprising if you know Japan's capital.
Unique in the world, Tokyo is the place where old meets new – a land of thousand conveniences. Buzzing and at the same time calm, super easy to navigate with 760 stations4 and with modern art museums and centennial temples, Tokyo has always captured the imagination of travellers.
Better still, summer is known in Japan for its traditional festivals – called matsuri – and its huge fireworks. Just imagine the celebratory atmosphere throughout the city during the Games.

9. Women's power
Tokyo 2020 will be the most gender-balanced Games in the history of the Olympic Games, with women expected to account for almost 49% of total athletes.
Moreover, the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will see the number of mixed events doubling from nine in Rio 2016 to 18.

10. Find out the true meaning of Omotenashi
We could tell you that Japanese people possess a unique selfless sense of hospitality, called omotenashi, and that they take care of their guests like nowhere else. We could say that Tokyo will offer you a unique welcome. We could describe the service you will receive in both the cheap eatery and the five-star hotel.
But the only way to find out the true meaning of omotenashi is to come to Tokyo and experience it for yourself...